A visiting soul
by nightingale27
Summary: After Sasuke returns to Konoha; Naruto confined in the hospital for his injuries, often gets a visit from Ino. A playback of their innocent somewhat bittersweet interactions throughout the years. A bit inocentric


Title: A visiting soul.

Summary: After Sasuke returns to Konoha; Naruto confined in the hospital for his injuries, often gets a visit from Ino. A playback of their innocent somewhat bittersweet interactions throughout the years.

Disclaimer: I do not own naruto

Warning: A bit ooc, grammar mistakes.

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><p>It was 1 week after they brought Sasuke in Konoha. The original male member of team 7 is confined in the hospital, healing from his various injuries due to his intense fight to recover Sasuke.<p>

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><p>Sniff, sniff.<p>

Naruto's nose perks up in the smell of lilies. Granted that the smell of ramen alone would also awaken him; it's quite a sight to see him stir due to the smell of flowers. But it's not just ordinary flowers that could cause this sensation. It's just that the scent of lilies signifies something more to him than he would care to admit. Then he heard a sound; it seems like someone is humming. He opens his eyes to see where the sound is coming from but for one who hasn't opened his eyes for almost a week, the mere entrance of sunlight in his eyes makes it painful and the images blurry. Slowly he sees shapes and color. He perceives blonde hair; a light shade of blonde that it takes Naruto a minute for the whole image to clear up. Naruto immediately recognize the blonde hair.

"Ino" Naruto whispered hoarsely.

The platinum blonde or Yamanaka Ino as most of the ninja's in Konoha would know her. She momentarily stops humming and arranging the flowers that she brought specifically for Naruto.

"Welcome back Naruto, just give me a moment and I'll get you some water" she smiled.

While Ino gets Naruto a glass of water; he immediately remembers why he is  
>in the hospital. He suddenly sits up.<p>

"Sasuke! What about Sasuke!" he shouts out. Which didn't do him any good because of his condition; pain radiating within his throat down to his internal organs.

"Calm down! Drink this first." Naruto is eager to know what happened to his fallen comrade but he also knows that it is wise to follow the Ino's orders or else. So he hastily drinks the water offered to him.

"Sasuke is fine. Sakura has never left his side" she answered while sitting in the chair near his bed. Hearing that Sakura never left Sasuke's side made him feel dejected but he knew right from the start that this would happen when he brought back Sasuke. Ino who noticed the sudden change of air with the male quickly answered.

"Naruto. I'm insulted. my presence is not up to par with sakura-chan eh?" the kunoichi feigning hurt.

"w-what! It's not like that ino-chan. I'm happy with your presence. I do! I-"

"it's alright naruto. I understand. So uptil now huh?"

"yeah. I still like sakura-chan"

"I never thought it would run this deep"

"neither do I but I won't give up!"

"It's just like you naruto to never give up" the platinum blonde laugh a bit but somehow for naruto that sound seems almost sad.

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><p>Contrary to popular belief. Naruto and Ino are close friends. It all started when they were 6. Playing in the academy playground. Before Ino and naruto met Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto being the kyuubi container was ostracized so even if he wants to play with other kids he ends up alone whereas Ino at that time can't understand why she needs to follow the adults order and in an act of rebellion. She purposely played with the kid who she was told not to play with. Why not she thinks the action led both joy in their parts. As Naruto gained a friend and Ino learned a lesson about what is wrong but feels right and what is right but feels wrong.<p>

An afternoon of playing in the swings, games and in the playbox the boy started asking what had been disturbing his peace for awhile.

"Ino... Is it alright with you to play with me? The adults told you not to, right? You might get hurt, you know" the boy said timidly while they build sands Castle which ends up looking like a mound. He is very happy to have a play mate and He really do want to have a friend but he's afraid of what may happen to the said friend. Naruto is not stupid he knows that adults forbid their children playing with him for reasons he didn't know.

"Are you going to hurt me? Because if you do I can give mean punch"

"no! I won't hurt ino! Even if my life depends on it"

"good! Because I pack a mean punch. It's true! My dad cried when I punched him! He said it's a mean punch!" the way it happened little ino punched the most sensitive part of his dad accidentally.

The boy chuckles a bit but that didn't eased his feelings about the whole thing.

"It doesn't matter if it's wrong playing with you because it feels right! And if it feels right then i'm right! And father always said I'm right!" Ino shouted determinedly.

"but-I"

"no buts! if you don't believe me then let's make a pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise?"

"It'll be a promise between the two of us and if one of us break the promise then he will eats a thousand needles"

"eeeh! That sounds painful!"

"That's right! But it'll only happens if we break our promise but we will not, So We promise with our lives." the girl cried delightedly. She held out her pinky to naruto

"I, yamanaka ino, promise my life to be the friend of naruto to always play with him in this sandbox through thick and thin" she didn't actually know what thick and thin actually meant as she've only heard this when she passed through a group of women chatting about wedding proposals. "Of the sands" she adds.

Naruto didn't know what is a pinky promise aside from the fact he would eat a thousand needles if he broke one so he hesitantly follows ino's example. He held out his pinky finger and started to say his promises when Ino's mother suddenly came.

"Ino!" her mother shouted, terrified at the scene presented at her. Her daughter is with the demon child. She began to run to take away her child, cutting the pinky promise of Naruto and surprising Ino.

"Mom! Wait! I" her mother carries ino away from the sand box.

"Hush child. You don't know who you are talking to. You're talking to the devil child"

"Mom we pinky promise! Naruto!" she screams facing the sand box with the boy staring dumbfounded at her while her mother carries her. She still held out her pinky.

She began to cry because as a child promises tend to have gravity in their life. They believe that promises are life and death situations.

"I, naru-" she was going to say She's gonna keep her promise But the boy shakes his head as if disagreeing and just wave her off. Like he would know this would happen.

Needless to say even without the pinky promise an unusual bond did formed that day.

But they never met again in that playbox. Sometimes they would pass with each other but both are too busy to greet nor start a conversation with ino running deliveries in the flower shop and naruto running away from a group of people because of a well played pranks.

The next time they met in the same room was in the academy class where ino was crushing on sasuke and naruto with sakura. They never got a chance to talk even after they graduate.

One time, when naruto was walking aimlessly in the forest he happens to perchance ino at a flowerfield. Ino at that time was searching for flowers to dedicate for the celebration for that day. It was the death of yondaime in killing the kyuubi. Naruto really didn't know what to do at that time. He did not want to stay at his apartment as some people seek him out and practically stone him to death as what happened to his earlier birthdays.

He wants to be alone yet not. He wants to talk to ino but doesn't want to bother her. He simply does want to be alone in misery but misery loves company. So he simply follows his gut. He steps in the flower field but chickened out at the last minute; he was about to go back when ino noticed him, caught in the act. It's not like him to act this way but she makes him feel kind of funny which he attributes to her rivalry with sakura.

"naruto?" she questioned. She knew it was naruto because no one wears that much orange in the village. But then it never hurt to ask.

The said boy turned quickly and streams of word came " Yo! Ino I didn't know you're here. Anyway I didn't want to bother you. I'll be  
>going then!" After that naruto quickly turned and began to ran but he haven't made the second step when ino's voice rang in the field.<p>

"naruto! Please wait!" she hoped that today would not be the same as last time. she runs up to him holding a bunch of flowers.

Earlier when she was searching for a flower she found a couple of mixed zinnia and thought immediately of naruto as the zinnia mirrors  
>her sentiments. <em>Thinking of an absent friend<em>. Ino then decided to give him this and thought why not add a couple of flowers as well? She adds  
>hyacinth for the sorrow of the first meeting, asking for forgiveness and a couple of iris because their friendship means a lot to her.<p>

And that what makes everything puzzling to ino because on a standard level they aren't even friends as they have never conversed with each  
>other again save for the first time they met.<p>

Maybe first impression do lasts? Because for ino when she promised she would be his friend. It's a promise for a lifetime. Even if the whole  
>thing is completely one-sided on her part.<p>

So when she reached Naruto. She unceremoniously shoves the bunch of flowers in his face. Preparing what she had wanted to say to the boy  
>in front of her.<p>

"Let's start anew. I'm yamanaka ino offering her friendship!"

Naruto had taken the flowers. He sniffs the scent and he thinks it smells like her, Ino. Those Flowers full of meaning. Colorful yet  
>subtle. Vibrant and engulfing. Just like their first meeting and just like now.<p>

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm glad to be your friend, Ino-chan!" he answered back with a smile.

And thus starts their official friendship. As naruto and ino spent the whole day in the flowerfields. For Ino it was the best day ever since  
>her fight with Sakura, a fulfillment of promise. For Naruto it was the best gift he could get. A day where he could forget he was the kyuubi<br>container or the hateful and cold Stare of the villager. A day where he is a normal boy enjoying his birthday with his friend.

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><p>Back to the present. At the hospital room.<p>

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><p>"I am waiting for you, you know. To open up your eyes" ino said changing the topic of Sakura. "honestly naruto I was about to use my mind technique to wake you up."<p>

"But Ino-chan I woke up! And if there's any consolation I woke up because of your humming!" he whined then he noticed the sunflowers in his bedside table. "Thanks for the flowers! Ino!"

"A little sunshine could brighten the room"(1) she answered. As they speak a gust of wind can be felt through from the window. It hits Ino's face as if sending her a message.

"I guess I need to go now." Ino began to stand up.

"ehh. So soon. I just woke up. Tell me what did I miss?"

"I'm sorry Naruto" she smiled sadly as she walk up and climb to the window. "But don't worry! _Your_ Sakura-chan will tell you the you!" ino jumped from the ledge.

"Wait ino!" naruto shouted. At the same time someone opened the door.

It was his other teammate, Sakura.

"naruto!" Sakura shouted with joy seeing her teammate awake, alive and well shouting to no one. _Thank god he woke up...Unlike...No don't think about it sakura_ because just a mere thought of her friend tears her up.

The last thing that the hospital staff sees is Sakura crying and hugging her teammate.

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><p>AN: (1) sunflower meant sunshine<p>

Read and review. I want to know what you guys think. This is my first fiction so tell me if I did something wrong.


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